Third-rail covering.



PATENTED SEPT. 13, 1904.

No. 770,158. I

T. BUGKLEY.

THIRD RAIL COVERING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1904.

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THOMAS BUCKLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

THIRD-RAIL COVERING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,158, dated September 13, 1904.

Application filed .Xpril 28, 1904.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, THoMAs BUoKLnY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Third-Rail Covering, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to third-rail coverings, and more particularly to means for shielding the rail from the action of the weather and also to the protection of life and property against the dangers of the rail when energized.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my invention, certain parts being broken way for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a section upon the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, showing the closure member closed; and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, but showing the closure members as open, due to the presence of the pilot-shoes.

The body of the car is shown at 4 and is provided with a beam 5, below which are pilotshoes 6 depending therefrom and carried by means of hangers 7. A conducting-post 8 is provided with contact-shoes 9 and is insulated from the beam 5 by means of a bushing 10 of insulating material.

The third rail is shown at 11 and is mounted upon a pedestal 12 of insulating material. Walls 13 are disposed upon each side of the rail 11, and upon each wall is a facing 14 of metal provided with an upturned flange 14 and secured rigidly upon the walls by means of bolts 15. Hinges 16 are secured upon the facings 14, and connected with these hinges are the doors or closure members 17 18, the door 18 being provided with a sink 19 for engaging the edge of the door 17, as indicated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. These doors are connected with the hinges 16 and are therefore free toswing apart within certain limits, as indicated in Fig. 3. Spiral springs 20 engage the facing-s 14 and the doors 17 18 and are for the purpose of maintaining the doors in the position indicated in Fig. 2,

Serial No. 205,282. (No model.)

the doors thus being pressed together with a degree of tension sufficient to prevent them from being opened by accidental causes, as well as to exclude the entrance of rain, sleet, hail, &c. The doors are made rotund, as shown, this conformity furthering the object of maintaining the rail practically moistureproof. Mounted rigidly within the doors 17 18 are metallic bearers 21.

Each pilot-shoe 6 is provided with a bow 6 at each of its ends, as shown in Fig. 1, and is also provided with roller-pockets 22 and brackets 23, the brackets being preferably integral with the pilot-shoe, so that the same may be readily cast. Rollers 24 are revolubly mounted with the brackets 23 and extend into the roller-pockets 22. The doors 17 18 are provided with shoulders 25 26, the shoulders having bevels 27 28, so that the act of opening one pair of doors to their limit Will open the doors in front of the car, and the opening of the doors to allow the hangers 7 and the post 8 to pass along the track is accomplished gradually. hind the car the doors are closed water-tight, whereas immediately in front of the foremost trolley-shoe and immediately in the rear of the hindermost trolley shoe the doors are slightly ajar, as indicated in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that the members 7 and 8 virtually depend through a transitory slot of a length not greater than that of the car, this slot to all intents and purposes traveling with the car. The rollers 24 engage the bearers 21 and reduce the friction to a minimum. As the doors open and close gradually and have only a limited play, the movement is effected without shock.

As above indicated, the rail is not only concealed from view, but is at all times inaccessible except topersons Who purposely open the doors 17 18 and who in so doing must force the doors ajar contrary to the tension of the springs 20. While the sink 19 engages one edge of the door or closure member 17, as above described, thereby making a watertight joint, the doors in closing also engage the flanges 14, which serve as limiting-stops therefor.

My system can be inaugurated where the The result is that in front of and be' road is being built in the first instance or may at comparatively slight cost be applied to roads already equipped with third-rails.

I do not limit myself to the particular structure above shown and described, for the reason that divers changes may be made in the construction of the apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a third-rail covering, the combination of. a plurality of closure members disposed above the rail, and adapted to move in opposite directions, said closure members being provided with bearers, and a pilot-shoe mounted upon a vehicle and provided with rollers Y for engaging said bearers.

2. In a third-rail covering, the combination of movable closure members, a pilot shoe mounted upon a movable vehicle and free to his THOMAS BUCKLEY.

mar Witnesses:

WILLIAM M. OSHEA, TIMOTHY OSHEA. 

